Traffic-signal for motor-vehicles



J. 1. SVANTIN AND a. M. WHITE.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I7. 1921.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET I J. 1. SANTIN AND G. M. WHITE.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17' I92!- Patented N0v. 29 1921 2 swans-sneer 2.

6M Whiie, J-J- Sani'z'rv.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrice.

JAMES J. SANTIN AND GEORGE M. \XT JI-II'IE, OF EL RENO, OKLAHOMA.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 29, 1921.

Application filed January 17, 1921. Serial No. 437,977.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JAMES J. SANTIN and GEORGE M. WHITE, citizens of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian and'State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traflic-Signals for Motor- Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to an improved traffic signal for motor vehicles and has as one of its principal objects to provide a simple and etficient device of this character whereby a driver may readily indicate an intended course of actlon.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device which may be readily mounted at the front of the vehicle and which may be easily operated for indicating an intention to turn either to the right or left or to continue straight ahead.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a device which may be mounted upon the engine hood of the vehicle and wherein the hood may serve as a' housing for the actuating mechanism of the device.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing our improved device in connection with a motor vehicle of conventional design, parts being broken away and shown in section, 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view more particularly illustrating the mounting of the device upon the engine hood of the vehicle,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 particularly illustrating the actuating mechanism fon the indicator employed,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view indicator in detail,

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken through the wrist portion of the indicator,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a slight modification of the invention, a vehicle of conventional design being illustrated in dotted lines, and I a g Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line 7-7 I showing the 'of Fig. 6.

frame 15 the upper side portion of which 1 is, as particularly shown in Fig. 2, bent to provide a loop 16. In installing the device, one of the hinge loops 12 of the engine hood of the vehicle is removed in order that the loop 16 may be accommodated upon the hinge rod 13 of the hood and, as will be noted, the rod is arranged to extend through said loop supporting the frame beneath the hood. The hood will thus serve to house and protect the frame as well as the mechanism carried thereby. Journaled through the free end portions of the sides of the frame is a vertically disposed tubular stub shaft 17 upon the upper end portion of which is threaded a nut 18 coacting with the upper side of the frame for sustaining the shaft. The shaftprojects freely through a suitable opening in the hood 11 and rising from said shaft is a post 19 bent in such manner that the upper end portion of said post normally lies directly over the hinge rod of the engine hood. Formed in the upper end of the stub shaft are, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, oppositely disposed notches 20 and fixed in a suitable slot in the lower end portion of the post is a transverse key 21 normally engaging in said notches and detachably connecting the post tothe and, as particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wrist portion of said hand'is formed to provide a lamp housing 23. In the sides of said housingare preferably red panes 24 while in the front wall of the'housing at' opposite sides of the hand are preferably white panes 25. A suitable electric lamp 26' is mounted within the housing and wires lead upwardly through the stud shaft 17 and post 19 to the lamp, the lamp bein connected with the battery or other suita le source of electrical energy upon the Yt l i la Thu at n gh; W en th lamp is? energized, a red light will show at opposite sides of the indicator while a white light will be thrown upon the hand so that said hand will be readily visible.

Fixed to the stub shaft 1'? between the sides-of the frame 15 is an arm 26 connected with the shaft by a suitable set screw and slidable upon the low-er side portion of the frame beneath said arm is, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, a combined actuating and. stop plate 27. The plate is substantially semi-circular and formed in said plate to freely receive the stub shaft 17 therethrough, is an elliptical slot 28. Formed in the free end portion of the arm 20 is a longitudinally extending slot 29 and extending freely therethrough isheaded post 30 fixed to the plate and connecting the plate with the arm. Extending from the rear portion of the plate is a lug 31 and riveted or other wise secured to said lug is an actuating rod 32 which extends rearwardly beneath the engine hood 11 through the vehicle dash and through a suitable opening in the instrument board 14 of the vehicle. Fixed to said board at the lower side of this open ing is a catch plate 34 and formed in the rod to coact with said plate is a bow 35 holding the stub shaft against rotation so that the indicator 22 will normally project forwardly. l/Vhen in this position. the indicator will, of course, denote an intention of the driver to continue straight ahead.

As will now be readily understood in view of the preceding description. by pulling rearwardly upon the rod 32, the stub shaft 17 may be rotated a quarter turn to the right. The indicator will then be moved to point toward the right for indicating an intention of the driver to turn accordingly. On the other hand, by pushing forwardly upon the rod, the stub shaft may be rotated a quarter turn to the left. The indicator will then be disposed to point toward the left for indi eating an intention of the driver to turn in this direction. Thus, the indicator may be readily manipulated. In this connection, it will be noted that when the rod 32 is moved longitudinally, the plate 27 will slide upon the lower side of the frame 15 being guided by the stub shaft 17 riding within the slot 28 while the post 30 will slide within the slot 29 of the arm 26 for swinging the arm as the plate is shifted. When the stub shaft reaches one end of the slot, as for instance, when the plate is pulled rearwardly, said shaft will coact with the plate for limiting the plate and accordingly limiting the shaft in its rotative movement so that the indicator cannot be shifted more than a quarter turn to the right and similarly, when the post reaches the opposite end of the slot, the plate will coact with the post for limiting the indicator in its rotative movement to the left.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, we have illustrated a slight modification of the invention wherein a pair .of signals is employed, one near the front of the vehicle and the other at the rear thereof. For convenience, a vehicle of conventional. design has been illustrated at 36. Mounted upon the engine hood of the vehicle is an indicator 37 and associated mechanism as disclosed in the preferred form of the invention, an actuating rod 88 extending rearwardly through the vehicle dash. In this modification, a bracket 39 is employed, this bracket being appropriately secured at any suitaable point at the rear of the vehicle. As will be observed, the bracket is formed with spaced side portions and between said side portions is an actuating plate and associated mechanism similar to the plate 27 and associated mechanism of the preferred construction. Operable by said plate is an up standing post 40 to the upper end of which is secured an indicator 41 corresponding to the indicator 22 and extending forwardly from the plate is an actuating rod 42. clamped around the steering post is a bracket 48 having a depending arm 44 and pivoted upon said arm is a control lever 45. Upstanding from this lever is a post 46 to which the rod 38 is connected and extending downwardly from thelever is a rod 47.. Mounted at a suitable point'beneaththe vehicle is a bracket 48 upon which is pivoted a bell crank 49 and, as will be noted, the rod 47 is connected to one arm of this lever while the rod 42 is connected to the other arm thereof. Thus, when the lever 45 is rocked both of the indicators 37 and 41 will be moved accordingly. As shown in detail in Fig. 7, the lever 45 is connected to the arm i l by a pivot bolt 50 and surroundingsaid bolt in a spring 51 tensioning the lever against the arm. The lever is formed near its inner end with a transverse groove while the arm is provided with a rib engaging in said groove so that normally, thelever will be yieldably locked in a horizontal position when both indicators will point forwardly. As will be seen, this modified structure provides an arrangement whereby a signal may be displayed both at the front and rear of the vehicle coincident-1y. I

Having thus described the invention, what is-claimed as new is:

1. A trafiic signal including a rotatable 12 0 mounted to ride upon the shaft transversely thereof and being slidably connected with the arm movable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft, said means being formed to coact with the shaft whereby said means will be limited in its movement.

3. A traflic signal including a rotatable shaft, an indicator connected therewith, an arm extending from the shaft, and a reciprocablc actuating plate mounted to ride upon the shaft transversely thereof and beingconnected with said arm movable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft, said plate being formed to coact with the shaft whereby said plate will be limited in its movement.

4. A traffic signal including a rotatable shaft, an indicator connected therewith, an arm extending from the shaft and means connected with said arm and having a slot receiving the shaft therethrough to ride upon the shaft transversely thereof, said means being movable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft and the shaft being adapted to engage the end walls of said slot selectively for limiting said means in its movement in opposite directions.

5. A traflic signal including a rotatable shaft, an indicator connected therewith, an arm extending from the shaft, and an actuating plate connected with said arm and having a slot receiving the shaft therethrough to ride upon the shaft transversely thereof, said plate being movable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft and the shaft being adapted to engage the end walls of said slot selectively for limiting said plate in its movement in opposite directions.

6. A traflic signal including a rotatable shaft, an indicator connected therewith, an arm extending from the shaft and provided with a slot, and actuating means for the shaft having a post extending freely through said slot connecting said means with the arm, said means being mounted to ride upon the shaft transversely thereof and being movable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft.

7. A traflic signal including a frame, a shaft journaled thereon, an indicator connected with the shaft, an arm fixed to the shaft, an actuating plate having a slot freely receiving the shaft therethrough, the arm being provided with a slot, and a post fixed to the plate and extending freely through the latter slot, the plate being shiftable for swinging the arm and rotating the shaft and the shaft being adapted to engage the end walls of said first mentioned slot selectively for limiting the plate in its movement in opposite directions.

8. The combination with a motor vehicle provided with an engine hood having a hinge rod, of a frame secured beneath the hood and looped over said rod, a shaft journaled upon the frame, an indicator connected with said shaft through the hood, and means for rotating the shaft.

9. A traflic signal including a rotatable shaft, a plate having a curved slotfreely receiving the shaft therethrough whereby the plate may be shifted upon the shaft transversely thereof, an arm extending from the shaft, and an operative connection between the arm and plate, the plate being movable for swinging said arm and rotatingthe shaft.

In testimony whereof we ,fiilfiX our signatures.

JAMES J. SANTIN. [1,. s] GEORGE M. WHITE. [1 s.] 

